Virginia Tech Institute: Texting While Driving Much More Dangerous Than Talking On Cell Phones.
Posted on July 2009
Texting while driving increases the risk of a crash much more than previous studies have concluded with motorists taking their eyes off the road longer than they do when talking or listening on their cell phones, a safety research institute said Monday. Learn More...
Texting While Driving Remains "Serious Issue", Officials Say
Posted on May 2009
Driving while texting remains a "serious issue" on the nation's roadways, transportation officials said Monday, days after a Boston-area trolley operator failed to see a red light while reportedly sending his girlfriend a text message and smashed into the back of another trolley, injuring 50 people. Learn More...
State Bans on Texting While Driving
Posted on May 2009
Sending text messages while driving has been a controversial issue for several years and was brought back to the forefront with the recent trolley crash in Boston where the driver says he was texting his girlfriend at the time of the incident. Learn More...
Text Messaging: Armed and Dangerous
Posted on March 2009
Imagine driving down the road. In your car, you not only have yourself, but your young child, your spouse, or your friend. You know you’re a safe driver and you take all the precautions. Learn More...
Kaine says he will sign bill prohibiting text messaging while driving
Posted on March 2009
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will sign legislation that prohibits most text messaging while driving. Kaine this week told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that he intends to sign House Bill 1876, which easily passed the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate last month. Learn More...
Coalition Supports Bill to Ban Teenage Texting While Driving
Posted March 2009
A bipartisan coalition of Mississippi state lawmakers, Cellular South and the Mississippi Department of Public Safety is supporting efforts to win passage of a bill that would restrict cell phone texting while driving by teenagers. Learn More...
Flurry of legislation targets text messaging while driving in Illinois
Posted on February 2009
Watching a woman try to text message and drive her car with her child in the back seat made state Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Chenoa, realize something had to change. “That’s just inappropriate,” he said. Learn More...
California Texting While Driving Ban Takes Effect. Happy New Year!
Posted on January 2009
With the ringing in of the new year, California became the latest state to ban texting while driving, joining the likes of New Jersey and Tennessee. California already passed a ban on teens texting and driving back in August, but now the law has been extended to all drivers regardless of age. Learn More...
Driving while texting -- do you know the cost?
Posted January of 2009
Maybe your boss wants the latest numbers from today's sales meeting, or a friend wants to set up a place to meet for drinks. Traffic is backed up and you know it would take less than a minute to type a response with your thumbs, so you do. Learn More...
Texting Statistics
Posted January 2009
For some time, text statistics were not recorded or reported separately from statistics related to cell phone useage in general. This is because, for a number of years, most cell phone users did not rely on SMS as a primary form of communication. Mobile phones were still largely used for voice calls. Learn More...
Texting While Driving: A Deadly Message
Posted on December 2008
The following ads are from the "Zero Fatalities" campaign. The first one actually coordinates with a TV spot (see the post below) and does a good job at reminding people that your irresponsible driving will not only affect you, but someone else's father, mother, sister, brother friend, etc. Learn More...
Should driving while texting be a crime?
Posted by Wall Street Journal
During the morning rush hour on Dec. 5, the 53-year-old driver of a blue Dodge Caravan was traveling north on Interstate 5 outside Seattle when he took his eyes off the road to scan an e-mail on his Blackberry, the State Patrol says. Learn More...
Almost Half of Young Drivers Text While Driving
Posted September 2008
As more people substitute calls with text messaging, Stefa concerns are on the rise. A survey found that nearly half of all drivers aged 18-24 send text messages while they drive, an activity that states are banning due to its dangers. Learn More...
Austin child criticially hurt in suspected 'texting while driving' crash
Posted October 2008
An accident in Bastrop County nearly killed a three-year-old boy and now his family is pleading for drivers to make a change. Learn More...
Cellphones and Driving
Posted October 2008
In the United States over 266 million people subscribed to such wireless communication devices as cellphones as of October 2008, compared with approximately 4.3 million in 1990, according to the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association. Learn More...
Texting and Driving Deadly for Teens
Posted August 18, 2008
Is any text message worth dying over? Sixteen-year-old Kayla Preuss died of head injuries when she lost control of her car and slammed into the center median. Learn More...
Cell Phone Restriction Laws Ignored by Teen Drivers
Posted on June 2008
When driving, the smallest distractions can cause accidents, which is why many states have instituted cell phone restriction laws over the years. Learn More...
Dangers of Driving and Texting
Car Accident Cell Phone Statistics, Teen Driver Cell Phone and Text Messaging Statistics, Adult Driver Cell Phone, Texting, and Car Accident
Currently, the data available for car accidents involving cell phone use is limited. The information on this page reflects the most current 2007 and 2008 statistics regarding cell phone usage and text messaging during car accidents. While mobile phones have grown enormously in popularity in the past decade, it is still unclear how greatly cell phone calls and texting contribute to car crashes. Learn More...
Cell Phone Use Popular While Driving Despite Car Accident Risk
Posted on May 2008
Daydreaming, fiddling with the radio, and using a cell phone have been cited in three-fourths of the United States' dangerous driving incidents. Although most Americans believe that talking on the phone and texting are the most dangerous behaviors behind the wheel, 81 percent of drivers admit to making phone calls while driving. Learn More...
Texting While Driving Suspeted Cause of Fatal Car Crash
Posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on March 2008
Imagine you’re driving on your way to work and as you ponder whether or not to grab a quick coffee you notice someone, up ahead, drifting into the lane next to them. Perhaps the person in front of you is tapping on their brakes every few seconds.Learn More...
Legislation for Ban on Texting While Driving gaining stream around the Country
Posted on November 2007
One New Hampshire Lawmaker is doing something about it, Nashua's David Campbell has filed the paperwork for a bill to ban two-handed texting or typing on any electronic telecommunications. Learn More...
Teen Drivers: DUI vs. DWT: Driving & Drinking or Driving & Talking/Texting -- Which is Worse?
Posted on October 2007
Okay, which poses a greater danger -- a newly-minted teen driver operating a two-ton vehicle after swilling down a few beers or the same teen driver talking (or texting) on a cell phone at 40-50 miles per hour through traffic? Learn More...
Teen Driver Menace: Text-Messaging
Posted on October 2007
When it comes to teen driving, put the danger of text-messaging while driving right up there with drunken driving as Public Enemies No. 1 and 1A on the nation's roads. Learn More...
N.H. Lawmaker Seeks Ban on Texting While Driving
Posted on October 2007
A New Hampshire lawmaker wants the Legislature to send drivers a clear message: stop sending text messages while driving. Learn More...
Five Lives Gone: Dangers of Texting and Driving
Posted on August 2007
Police say the accident that killed five teenaged girls from Fairport, NY, when their SUV collided with a tractor-trailer, may have been caused by the teen driver sending and receiving text messages as drove. Learn More...
Texting while driving is the greatest in car distraction for US teenagers
Posted on July 2007
Thirty-seven percent of US teenagers admit that text messaging is the biggest distraction while driving, according to a survey of 900 students by SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and Liberty Mutual Insurance Group. Learn More...
Teens Admit Text Messaging Most Distracting While Driving
Posted on July 2007
SADD Chairman Stephen Wallace available to discuss teen decision-making behind the wheel.
Learn More...
Does Your Teen Text Behind the Wheel
Posted on July 2007
Parents – is your teen texting while driving? If you answered yes, then your daughter or son might be one of the 46 percent of drivers under 18 years of age that admit to sending text messages behind the wheel. Learn More...
Text Messaging Endangers Teen Drivers
Posted May 2007
Attention parents - your teenager's cell phone may be the most dangerous hazard on the road. A recent insurance survey found that teens say texting is their #1 distraction on the roadways. Learn More...
Teen Drivers Underestimate the Dangers
Teenagers are bombarded with the message that drinking and driving is dangerous, but are they also aware of other driver distractions that can be just as deadly? Learn More...
Text Messaging and Driving Safety: When is it the Wrong Message?
Posted in 2007
Many cell phone users like to stay in touch with friends and family constantly. That's fine when you're not driving, but it's a big concern when you are driving. Learn More...
Text messaging adds to growing accident statistics of 'inattentive' drivers
Posted on November 2006
It takes only a few seconds to send a text message. Flip open the cell phone, tap some keys, spell out a few words, and hit "send." Learn More...
NHTS, Virginia TechTransportation Institute Release Findings of Breakthrough Research on Real-World Driver Behavior, Distraction and Crash Factors
Posted on April 2006
Driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes, according to a landmark research report released today by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. Learn More...
Cell Phones, Texting and Car Accidents
Posted on Edgar Snyder & Associates
The wireless industry introduced the cell phone in 1978. Since then, cell phone ownership continues to grow by about 40 percent per year. Learn More...
Austin Child Critically Hurt In Suspected 'texting While Driving' Crash
An accident in Bastrop County nearly killed a three-year-old boy and now his family is pleading for drivers to make a change.
The accident happened along Highway 21 in Bastrop County on Oct. 19. The family says the driver who slammed into the back of their vehicle was text messaging.
Dr. Mason Jones, the father of three-year-old Griffin and the driver in the accident, broke down when told CBS 42’s Katherine Stolp about the day of the accident.
“His head was badly misshapen and he said mommy my head hurts,” Dr. Jones said. “I called 911 myself.”
Griffin had several skull fractures and had to undergo emergency neuro and facial surgery. After learning their son would fully recover, his parents’ emotions shifted from heartache to anger.
“How can you miss a car sitting in the freeway and have two cars pass on the right and still hit us so severely without even breaking,” Dr. Jones said.
The Joneses believe the 18-year-old driver who hit them was text messaging. State troopers say the accident is still under investigation and have not released those details.
“I think banning texting while driving is a no-brainer, but it’s still going to be controversial,” Martinez said.
The city’s Public Safety Task Force is looking into an ordinance requiring Austin drivers to go hands free while using a cell phone. The Joneses say it’s a step in the right direction, but ask in the meantime, “please don’t text while you’re driving, just don’t.”
Driving while texting is already banned in seven states. The latest report from AAA says 46 percent of teenage drivers text while driving.